


Unconditional Support

by Aria_Lerendeair



Series: Magnus Bane Birthday Bash 2019 [21]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types, The Shadowhunter Chronicles - Cassandra Clare
Genre: I hate this story arc for forgetting that, M/M, Magnus Bane Deserves Nice Things, Magnus has friends and Family, Magnus' Support System, friendships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-22
Updated: 2020-03-22
Packaged: 2021-02-28 21:54:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,895
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23254276
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aria_Lerendeair/pseuds/Aria_Lerendeair
Summary: An In-Universe Coda fic where Magnus receives the support and encouragement from his friends and family - outside of Alexander.
Relationships: Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood
Series: Magnus Bane Birthday Bash 2019 [21]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1666054
Comments: 22
Kudos: 158
Collections: Shadowhunters Fic-A-Thon 2020





	Unconditional Support

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt by Anonymous: If it's okay to still send a prompt, can we please have a moment of Magnus appreciation when he is powerless? He thought he would be useless, but there are so many people who loves him and the writers didn't make justice for this. Like, different scenes where the characters show Magnus he is appreciated and needed and loved even without his powers? At the show, we only had Alec. I'm sure Izzy, Jace, Clary, Simon, Cat, Maia, Luke, Raphael or any other could also tell him this.

~!~ Isabelle ~!~ 

  
After he’d traded away his loft, there were few things that Magnus hated more than waking up in Alec’s bed at the Institute alone. Alec did his best to make sure it didn’t happen often, but sometimes it was required despite his best efforts. Clenching his eyes shut for a long moment, he buried his face in his pillow and debating hiding away from the world for another day. 

  
But he was not a coward, and he would need to face things. He slid out of bed and sighed, pushing his fingers through his hair as he headed for the shower. Magnus felt slightly more alive as he stood in the bathroom in front of the mirror and exhaled hard, clenching his hands into fists as he breathed through the panic threatening to swamp him, going through the familiar motions of his skincare routine. 

  
A knock at the door startled him out of his melancholy and he looked towards it, blinking in surprise. Opening it a fraction, he relaxed, smiling when he saw that it was Isabelle, standing on the other side of the door. “Isabelle, how are you?” He blinked at the bags in her arms. “Do you need help with something?” 

  
“I absolutely do,” Izzy announced, pushing her way into the room. “First thing is first, do you have plans with Alec today?” 

  
Magnus blinked again, but shook his head. “No, no, I don’t. Alec mentioned he would be in Clave meetings all day and-” 

  
“Exactly!” Izzy interrupted, her eyes bright as she spun around, looking at him. “So we are going to do something we have always wanted to do!” 

  
Magnus couldn’t help smiling at her enthusiasm. “And what might that be?” 

  
“We,” Izzy said, leaning in close to him with a smirk. “Are going shopping on fifth avenue. We are going to abuse the ever-living fuck out of that black card I know you have in your wallet and treat ourselves to the finest retail therapy that New York can offer!” 

  
Magnus laughed, shaking his head. “Isabelle, I don’t need to go shopping, I’m taking up too much space in Alexander’s closet as it is!” 

  
“Well!” Izzy continued, completely unperturbed. “Then I suppose you shall have to come as my utterly brilliant fashion consultant, won’t you? After all, I’ve never met anyone with a fashion sense I can say I unabashedly love, no matter what you’re wearing.” She glanced down and gave a low whistle of appreciation. “Though a towel might be a bit skimpy for fifth avenue.” 

  
Magnus gave her a shove, unable to keep the grin off his face. “Let me finish getting ready you heathen, then!” 

  
“I brought you all my spare makeup!” Izzy said, waving towards the bags. “All the different shades of nail polish, eyeshadow, bronzer, moisturizers and everything else you could think of. I needed to, obviously, pick up foundation for you, and I peeked at what brands you already had here before I did, so now you have refills of it all!” 

  
Magnus smiled and look at her. “You don’t need to do this, Isabelle.” 

  
Izzy scoffed. “Absolute nonsense. You wouldn’t hesitate to do the same for me if I needed it in a second. Now, hurry up and get ready, I’ll let Alec know you’ll be stopping by for your goodbye kiss in a few.” 

  
Magnus rolled his eyes, but shut the door behind her and looked at the piles of makeup now on their bed, and then towards the bathroom where the handful of things he had brought with them were carefully kept to one side of the sink. 

  
The knot in his chest loosened a little more and he picked up a dark blue eyeshadow that caught his eye, his eyes lighting up. He had the perfect shopping outfit to go with this! 

~!~ Catarina ~!~ 

  
Catarina blew out a hard breath and downed the rest of her whiskey, putting the glass to the side with a firm clank, staring Magnus down. 

  
Magnus fought not to have his hands tremble, but he’d been afraid of this conversation for days now. “I, can, of course, babysit Madzie any time you want now, whether you want an evening to yourself, or, if you-” 

  
“Magnus,” Catarina interrupted, leaning forward, reaching out to take his hands in hers. “Look at me.” 

  
Magnus hated how his hands trembled in hers, even as he raised his eyes up to her. 

  
She smiled faintly. “Why are you so upset?” 

  
Magnus opened his mouth to answer and then snapped it shut. The answer on the tip of his tongue, that she would be the last of the three of them alive, that she would be alone, was fire in his throat. 

  
“Magnus Bane,” Catarina growled. “Stop that, right this second.” 

  
Magnus looked at her, his eyes widening. “I, haven’t done anything?” 

  
Catarina scoffed and reached out, wrapping her arms around one of her best friends, hugging him tight. “I recognize that look of self-flagellation perfectly well, thank you. I’ve had a long time to learn it.” 

  
The reminder stung and Magnus winced, looking away from her. 

  
“Do you regret it?” Catarina asked, her voice soft as she held onto his hands. 

  
Magnus closed his eyes, the familiar question just as painful as it was every single time he was asked it. “No,” he whispered. No, there was no regret, but there was an ocean of pain lurking beneath the surface. He couldn’t regret keeping Alexander whole, but a part of him wondered if the cost of himself, of all that he truly was, had perhaps be too high a price to pay. 

  
Catarina hummed. “The truth, but not the complete truth. Want to try again, or am I going to guess?” 

  
“What does it matter?” Magnus scoffed, rolling his eyes as he pulled his hands from hers, settling back into the chair. 

  
“It will matter,” Catarina said, refilling both of their glasses with a quick twitch of her fingers. “You regret not the action, but the price.” 

  
Catarina knew him too well. Magnus met her eyes and downed the rest of his whiskey, the empty glass dangling from his fingertips. “I miss my magic, Cat.” 

  
Catarina smiled faintly. “I know it misses you just as much, Magnus. But you are still yourself. And I’ll enjoy watching you remember.” 

  
Magnus frowned at her. “I’m decidedly not.” 

  
Raising both her eyebrows as she lifted her brows, Catarina offered a simple question. “What is the best root to use in a simple sleeping drought?” 

  
Magnus blinked. “Ferrywort. You know that. You’ve known that for centuries.” 

  
“And what is the approximate brewing time for an Icthelon potion?” Catarina asked, her voice arch. 

  
Magnus frowned and thought about it. “Depends on how close to the full moon you are. Anywhere between sixteen and twenty eight hours. Give or take a half hour here and there.” 

  
Magnus caught onto the game by the fourth question and enjoyed Catarina pressing him for his knowledge, challenging him to think, to really _think_ about his answers when they weren’t something that he could pull quickly, or easily. She even summoned books for him to reference at one point. 

  
By the time he finished giving a long-winded answer to a potion of de-aging, Magnus managed a laugh and raised his drink in a toast to her. “Your point is well-proven. Thank you, Catarina.” 

  
“You’re still yourself, Magnus,” Catarina repeated. “Don’t you dare forget it again, you understand me?” 

~!~ Luke ~!~ 

Luke stepped up next to Magnus, watching as Lorenzo Rey walked past him and into the Downworlder Council meeting. He glanced at Magnus and caught the sad wistfulness in his eyes. “We all miss the hell out of you, for the record.” 

  
Magnus snorted and glanced up at Luke. “I made serious mistakes. Mistakes that nearly cost-” 

  
“You telling me you’ve never made a mistake before in your centuries? Think about who my parabatai was and then we can talk mistakes,” Luke said, giving Magnus a faint grin. 

  
“Fair point,” Magnus allowed. “None the less, it’s not like I’ll ever sit on another of these. I’m…annoyingly mundane now.” 

  
Luke laughed, his head falling back. “Is that what you think?” 

  
Magnus scowled at him. “It’s the truth.” He waved his fingers at Luke. 

  
“Magnus, you’re no more mundane than _I_ am. And I turn into a huge wolf at will,” Luke said, giving him another grin. “Stop selling yourself short.” 

  
Magnus hummed and didn’t answer that. He glanced back down the hallway. Alexander would be arriving soon. “How’d you manage it? Making the switch from one to another?” 

  
“Do you want the real answer, or the bullshit one?” Luke asked. 

  
“Real,” Magnus demanded instantly. 

  
Luke frowned and sighed, turning his attention to Magnus properly. “I drank myself stupid the first few years. Got reckless. Decided I didn’t need anyone or anything.” He exhaled hard, his shoulders heaving. “Then, when I found something, someone, worth living for, I took the skillset I had and learned to repurpose it.” 

  
Magnus tilted his head and stared at Luke. “Repurpose?” 

  
“How lethal do you think a werewolf who knows how to fight like a shadowhunter is? Who grew up knowing how to control enhanced strength, speed and sight?” Luke asked. “I had the some of the best fight training the world. Once I applied it and started learning how to use it, and found someone to protect? Well. It was easy, after that.” 

  
Magnus considered that and leaned back against the wall of the Institute. “I can hardly do something like that.” 

  
Luke raised both of his eyebrows. “Can’t you? With your spellbooks and knowledge and experience? Are you truly telling me you have nothing left to offer the shadow world, Magnus Bane?” 

  
Magnus watched Luke walk into the meeting and greet the others, his mouth dry. The reminder, the tough, pointed reminder had his heart aching. Even if it would never be the same, perhaps Luke was right. Perhaps he just needed to adjust his how his skillset was used. 

~!~ Raphael ~!~ 

  
Raphael took one look at Magnus and sighed. 

  
Magnus scowled at him. “Stop looking at me like I’m a fledgling to be pitied.” 

  
Raphael raised an eyebrow and sighed. “I’m not, Magnus.” 

  
“You’re, you’re giving me a look,” Magnus snapped. 

  
“Are you this snappy with your shadowhunter?” Raphael shot back, stepping closer to him, watching Magnus wince. “Come here,” he ordered. 

  
Magnus stepped closer, sagging a little, closing his eyes in exhaustion. “Raphael, I’m too tired for this-” 

  
“Magnus,” Raphael said, his voice softening. “Do you remember what you told me that day you found me on the roof?” 

  
Magnus winced. “In…broad strokes, yes?” 

  
“You told me not to judge myself by my weakest moment, and that those moments, like the one I was in, were times when I needed to let others carry me,” Raphael said, a faint smile on his lips. “And that I needed to do this so I could carry others in their time.” 

  
Magnus snorted and rolled his eyes. “Sounds appropriately dramatic so I’m sure I said exactly that.” 

  
“Dramatic, yes,” Raphael allowed. “But that doesn’t make it any less true.” 

  
“Raphael-” 

  
“Come here,” Raphael growled. “You stubborn bastard,” he added, tugging Magnus into his arms, hugging him tightly, feeling Magnus lean against him, sagging the smallest bit. “Don’t make me call you Dad,” he threatened. 

  
Magnus gave a watery laugh. “You don’t like hugs,” he protested. 

  
“I don’t,” Raphael agreed. “But _you_ do, and this is about you, not me.” 

  
Magnus trembled, tightening his arms around Raphael, letting his eyes close as he held him close. “I’m scared,” he whispered after he’d been held for what felt like hours, but was probably only minutes. “I’m scared I won’t be enough, anymore.” 

  
“You will always, always be enough,” Raphael said, his voice fierce and certain. “And while I will always dislike shadowhunters, this is one area where your boyfriend and I agree.” 

  
Magnus didn’t know when he had started crying, but he became aware of it in a rush, the tears making steady tracks down his cheeks. 

  
Raphael hummed, quiet and soft, holding Magnus close. “You told me once, I was not defined by what I took from others.” He pulled back to meet Magnus’ eyes. “The same holds true for you. You are not defined by what you give to others, by what you could do for them. You are defined only by yourself.” 

  
Magnus wanted to laugh. “Stop using my own advice against me!” 

  
“On rare occasions, you give good advice,” Raphael said with a roll of his eyes. “Now, shut up and enjoy your hug. You’re not getting another this century.” 

  
Magnus knew it was a lie, that Raphael would give him as many hugs as he thought he needed, but he closed his eyes and nestled into the hug regardless. 

~!~ Jace ~!~ 

  
Magnus let Jace avoid him for two whole weeks before he had had enough. The secondhand guilt from Alexander was bad enough, so it was time to address the source. He dressed quickly, sweatpants and a tank top, barely bothering with his hair before he headed straight for the training rooms. If there was one thing that Jace and Alexander had always had in common, it was this. When they needed to punish themselves, they came here. 

  
Magnus grabbed two bo staffs and made his way to where Jace was attacking a punching bag. By the sweat he’d worked up, he’d been here for a bit already. He moved into Jace’s field of vision and waited. It took Jace another few minutes, but the second he was noticed, Jace was upright, his face shuttering. 

  
“I’ll get out of your way,” Jace said, turning away. 

  
“Jace,” Magnus snapped, throwing the staff at him. He was glad when Jace caught it, even if he blinked at it curiously. 

  
Jace frowned and shook his head. “I’ll go get Alec,” he muttered. 

  
Magnus resisted the urge to growl in frustration at stubborn shadowhunters who were as emotionally repressed as they came. When Jace got ten feet away from him, Magnus huffed, dove forward, and knocked Jace’s feet out from under him, sending him crashing to the ground. 

  
When Jace’s surprised eyes turned to him, Magnus gave him a bland smile. “Going to fight me, yet?” 

  
Jace shook his head. “Think I’ve done enough to you, I don’t need bruises to add to the list.” 

  
“Oh for the love of,” Magnus swore, watching Jace turn away again. He hit Jace on the shoulder, hard enough to catch his attention again. “One, nothing,” he said, raising a challenging eyebrow at Jace. 

  
“You want to spar, do it with Alec,” Jace snapped. 

  
Magnus growled under his breath and spun, hitting Jace hard enough in the thigh to send him in surprise to the floor again. “Two, nothing.” 

  
“Magnus-” 

  
“You going to let me win? Me, the poor, powerless and defenseless warlock?” Magnus taunted. 

  
Jace turned to him and sighed. “Listen, I get that you’re itching for a fight, Magnus, but I’m not…” he trailed off. “I’ve hurt you enough.” 

  
Magnus moved, getting in front of Jace, knocking his feet out from under him, pressing the end of the staff to Jace’s throat. “May I remind you, and every shadowhunter here, including my boyfriend that I am not made of glass. That I’ve fought a war against shadowhunters?” 

  
Jace knocked the staff away from his throat and went to stand when Magnus knocked him back down. 

  
“Stop feeling guilty for a choice that was mine to make, Jace,” Magnus snarled, glaring at him. “You think you made me weak? You think you took something from me? I’ll show you just how weak I am.” 

  
“Magnus,” Jace protested. “I did. It’s my fault.” 

  
Magnus scoffed and rolled his eyes. “It’s Lilith’s fault, not yours. Trust me, I’ve known her long enough to tell.” 

  
Jace glared at him. “You gave up your magic because of me.” 

  
Magnus met Jace’s eyes calmly. “I did,” he agreed, watching Jace flinch. When Jace meets his eyes again, they’re agonized and pain filled. “Do you think I hate you for it?” 

  
“You should,” Jace whispered, the words dry and raspy in his throat. “I took, I took your life away from you.” 

  
Magnus smirked at him, his eyes twinkling. “You took less than you might think. Shall I show you?” 

  
Jace looked down at the staff and then back up at Magnus. “Why?” 

  
“Because as much as I love getting Alec all hot and bothered when we train together, I do need someone to actually train me,” Magnus said, giving an idle shrug. “So I’m going to the best.” 

  
Jace managed a small smile and a nod. “I can do that. But, why do you want me to do it? Don’t you hate me?” 

  
Magnus raised both of his eyebrows. “Do you think I’d give up my magic for someone I hate, Jace?” he asked, moving the staff, booping Jace on the nose. “Boop! Now, you going to fight me?” 

  
Jace narrowed his eyes. “How about you show me what you’ve got and then we can talk,” he said instead. 

  
Magnus grinned and spun into an attack. 

  
Later when they were both sweaty, exhausted and smiling, Magnus had the fleeting thought that maybe, just maybe, this would be a life he could get used to living. 

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and Criticisms welcome!
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